Blade transportation

ABSTRACT

Transportation tooling of the type that borders the blade at its root and at an intermediate point. This tooling is used in combination with platforms placed on the transportation elements and said platforms can move transversely and turn or rotate with respect to the means of transportation without affecting blade integrity. A method for blade transportation with the point of one blade facing the point of the adjacent blade so as to use the minimum space on the means of transportation. The rail tooling takes into account the maximum corner radius that the train will encounter while absorbing the bending and torsion stress acting on the blades.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention refers to the transportation of large-sized bladesand more specifically to the transportation of these blades in thelimited space available in train cargo rail cars. The blades are placedusing two types of supports that are capable of movement in relation tothe rail car platform, so that the blades are not structurally damagedwhile passing through the sharpest curves that may appear during thejourney.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Current development of wind turbines points to obtaining largequantities of power. This, in turn, results in an increase of thedimensions of all the elements.

The larger size of the elements involves an increase in transportationcosts and problems derived from safeguarding the integrity of theelements to be transported. Each mode of transportation has its ownpeculiarities. Land transportation is affected by complex terrain wherethe orography makes transportation difficult due to the bending andtorsion stress affecting the blades. Patent P200700850 presented byGamesa has been developed in order to minimize these transportationproblems.

Other similar patents have been developed to overcome other problems.Thus, patent US2006144741 by Enercon presents a vehicle for bladetransportation where the transportation device is the same size as theblade and where said device revolves during transportation. PatentWO2006000230 by Vandrup Specialtransp shows a non-traction platformadjacent to the tractor element provided with revolving transportationelements that can be adjusted according to the weight of the blade.

The blades are elements manufactured in composite material and arereaching lengths of between 40 and 65 meters due to the increase in thesize of wind turbines. Since land transportation is one of the mostcommon means of transportation, these blade lengths present serioustransportation difficulties. A good alternative to conventionaltransportation is transportation by train.

The greatest difficulty presented by train transportation is the curveangle that can be reached in certain sections of the trajectory. Thesupports of the current invention have been developed in order to solvethe problems presented by this type of transportation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

One object of the invention is blade transportation in an articulatedtrain, considering the maximum curvature that this means oftransportation can endure.

Another object of the invention is the use of conventional rail cars,accommodating the maximum number of blades possible between the railcars.

Another object of the invention is providing the rail cars withplatforms on which supports are fastened, to be used in thetransportation of the blades. There are two supports, one for the rootjoint and the other for the intermediate section of the blade.

Another object of the invention is that the platforms placed on the railcars can move crosswise and turn and revolve with respect to the railcar, movements that safeguard the integrity of the blade. This and otherfields of the invention are achieved by two supports, one located at theend of one car and the other located on the opposite end and extendingto the adjacent rail car.

These platforms are capable of absorbing the bending and torsionstresses that affect the blades and of moving the blades as needed toremain within the rail width limits.

In order to facilitate the explanation, a sheet of drawings is attachedwith an embodiment of a practical case of the scope of the currentinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a wind turbine blade with the rootsupport frame and the auxiliary system of the intermediate supportframe.

FIG. 1B is an exploded view that shows the clamp that comprises theauxiliary system of the intermediate support.

FIG. 2 represents the support corresponding to the root joint area.

FIG. 3A is a perspective of the complete intermediate support frame andFIG. 3B is an exploded view of the union of the structure with theinternal clamp.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are an elevation and cross section view of the supportcorresponding to the root support frame.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are an elevation and ground view of the intermediatesupport and its annex placed on the adjacent rail car. FIG. 5C is anexploded view that shows the actuator stand. A ground view is also shownin FIG. 5D of the two supports and their movements while taking a curve.

FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C show the location of a blade in one and a half railcars, three rail cars taking a sharp curve and an exploded view of thebehavior of the blade points.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As represented in FIG. 1A, the blade of wind turbine 10 is an elongatedbody consisting of several sections: the root joint section 20corresponds to the part that joins the blade and hub, the intermediatesection 30 and the tip blade 40. The blade is normally manufactured incomposite material and its transportation and movement are delicate.

The blade 10 needs two points to fasten the elements required to hoistit. These points are the root joint section 20 and the intermediatesection 30. Since the fastening elements can not be fastened on the bareblade, auxiliary elements are used, one root support frame 50 and oneintermediate support frame 60.

The exploded view in FIG. 1B of the intermediate support frame 60 showsthe auxiliary system. An elongated body clamp 70 whose cross sectioncoincides with the aerodynamic cross section of the blade. It isprovided with hinges 80 and hydraulic opening and closing 90 on oppositesides so that they can be opened and closed for introduction or removalof the blade 10. It is also equipped on the outside with reinforcingelements 100 formed by two parallel flanges. The inner part has a rubbersurface 110 to prevent damage to the surface of the blade 10.

FIG. 2 shows the root support frame 50, consisting of a quadrangularframe 120 inside of which there is a lower bed 130 and an upper bed 140,both of semicircular shape. The areas of contact between the inner bedsand the blade 10 have a rubber surface 150 and the side flanges 160 thatform the frame 120 can be completely separated on both sides. Halves areconnected using a twistlock system

As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the intermediate support frame 60 is aframe formed by an upper frame 170 and a lower frame 180 that arecoupled and uncoupled by twist lock connections 190 on the sides. Thelower frame 180 has an auxiliary element 200 at the base that includes aball joint 210 through which the clamp 70 is coupled. As the ball joint210 is the only point of support between the auxiliary element 200 andthe clamp 70, the support of the intermediate support frame 60 for theblade 10 has three degrees of freedom of movement. The clamp 70 isplaced on the side that corresponds to the hydraulic opening and closing90 next to the lower frame 180 and the side that corresponds to thehinges 80 is placed at the upper part of the intermediate support frame60, next to the upper frame 170.

FIGS. 4A and 4B show the connecting link between the root support 50 andthe rail car used as the means of transportation 250. The rail car inthe current preferred realisation is a convention rail car, open at thetop.

The root support frame 50 is supported by and fastened on a ball jointplatform 240 with wheels 230 at both ends and a central ball joint 220that connects the ball joint platform 240 and the rail car 250 by meansof a support 260. The ball joint platform 240 is placed at one end ofthe rail car 250 and the combination of the wheels 230 and the balljoint 220, that is welded to the rail car 250, allows it to turnclockwise and counter-clockwise.

As shown in FIGS. 5A to 5D, the intermediate support 60 is placed on anX-shaped support 270 that is crossed by a wide flange beam actuated bar280 that extends from one rail car 250 and the adjacent rail car 251.The support of the intermediate support frame 270 rests on a crosssection rail 300 inside of which are rolling elements 310 in continuouscontact with a wide flange 281 with a double T shape. The support 270slides on the wide flange 281 as the actuated bar 280 becomes unalignedby the relative movement between one rail car 250 and the adjacent railcar 251. The actuated bar 280 is joined to the support 270 on one of itsends and rests on an actuator stand 290 on the opposite end. In turn,the actuator stand 290 rests on another set of rolling elements 311 thatallows the actuated bar 280 to move longitudinally, while the actuatorstand 290 can revolve around itself.

The group formed by the support of the intermediate support frame 270,the rail 300 and the wide flange 281 is placed on a rectangular plate320 with the same width as the length of the flange 281 to which thewide flange 281 is welded. On the other hand, the actuator stand 290rests on another plate 321 that is also rectangular but smaller than theone previously mentioned. Both plates 320 and 321 are fastened to theircorresponding rail cars 250 and 251.

When the train takes a curve 330, the first rail car 250 and theadjacent rail car 251 become unaligned. The support of the intermediatesupport frame 270 is pushed by the action of the actuated bar 280 andslides along the cross section rail 300, while the plate 320 that holdsthe group remains fixed to the rail car 250. The opposite end of theactuated bar 280 causes the actuator stand 290 to turn on thecorresponding plate 321, while it slides on its rolling elements 311,compensating the relative movements of both rail cars 250 and 251.

FIGS. 6A and 6B show two blades 10 and 11 in three rail cars 250, 251,252 at the most critical moment that can come about duringtransportation: a curve 330 with the sharpest bending radius possible.Each blade is transported on one and a half rail cars, with the pointsfacing each other. But due to the fact that the root support frame 50turns, while the intermediate support frame 60 slides on the plate 320that holds it, the point of one blade 40 and the point of the adjacentblade 41 do not collide, as can be seen in the exploded view of the FIG.6C.

1. Blade transportation, using various supports that border the blade atdifferent points of the same that allow for it to be handled from theplace of manufacture to the means of transportation where they arefastened, allowing for movement between the fastening supports and themeans of transportation, characterized in that it includes a rootsupport frame 50 and an intermediate support frame 60, both supportswith a quadrangular frame and inner auxiliary elements, and the distancebetween the supports equal to the length of the carrier vehicle, where:the root support frame 50 is supported and fastened on a ball jointplatform 240 with wheels 230 at both ends and a central ball joint 220that connects the ball joint platform 240 and the carrier vehicle andthe intermediate support 60 is placed on an X-shaped support 270 crossedby a wide flange beam actuated bar 280 that extends from one vehicle tothe adjacent vehicle, the support of the intermediate support frame 270rests on a cross section rail 300 inside of which there are rollingelements 310 in continuous contact with a wide flange 281 shaped like adouble T sitting on a plate 320, the actuated bar 280 is joined to thesupport 270 at one of its ends and rests on an actuator stand 290 on theother end.
 2. Blade transportation, according to claim 1, characterizedin that the root support frame 50 is formed by a frame 120 inside ofwhich there is a lower bed 130 and an upper bed 140 both of semicircularshape, the contact areas of the auxiliary elements with the blade 10have a rubber surface 150 and the lateral flanges 160 that comprise theframe 120 can be completely separated on both sides for later connectionand fastening with bolts or fastening elements.
 3. Blade transportation,according to claim 1, characterized in that the intermediate supportframe 60 is a frame consisting of an upper frame 170 and a lower frame180 that can be coupled and uncoupled, whose lower frame 180 has at itsbase an auxiliary element 200 that includes a ball joint 210 throughwhich is coupled a clamp 70 with hinges 80 and hydraulic opening andclosing 90 at the ends, with reinforcing elements 100 on the outside anda rubber surface 110 on the inside.
 4. Blade transportation, accordingto claim 1, characterized in that the intermediate support frame 60 iscoupled on a plate 320 over which it slides transversely to the bladeactuated by the actuated bar 280 and the root support frame 60 turns onits lateral wheels 230 pivoting on ball joint 220 that fastens the railcar 250 and the ball joint platform 240 that supports the support frame,both movements are produced when the carrier vehicle and the adjacentvehicle become unaligned.
 5. Blade transportation, according to claim 1,characterized in that the carrier vehicle is a rail car 250 of a trainof standard dimensions and two blades 10, 11 are transported betweenthree rail cars 250, 251,
 252. 6. A method for blade transportationcharacterized by placing a support frame 50 that clamps the root joint20, placing another support frame 60 at the intermediate point of theblade 30, hoisting the blade 10 and depositing it on a rail car 250without sides or covering so that the root support frame 50 is placed atone end of the rail car 250, the intermediate support frame 60 isfastened on the other end of the rail car 250 and connects with theadjacent rail car 251 by means of an actuated bar 280 that rests on anactuator stand 290, and the blade point 40 hangs in the air at themiddle of the adjacent rail car
 251. 7. A method for bladetransportation according to claim 6, characterized by placing the blade10 on the root support frame 50 first on the lower bed 130 supportingthe root joint 20 on the semicircular rubber surface 150, after whichthe lower part of the root joint 20 is screwed to the root support framelower bed 130, after which the upper part of the support is assembled bymeans of the lateral flanges of the structure and finally, the upperpart of the support and the upper part of the root joint 20 are screwed.8. A method for blade transportation according to claim 6, characterizedin that in order to place the blade 10 on the intermediate support frame60 the clamp 70 used in the interior of the support frame 60 ispreviously placed over the intermediate section of the blade 30, and todo so first the hydraulic opening and closing 90 is opened, the clamp 70is opened, the blade 10 is placed in the clamp and the clamp 70 isclosed over it, then the clamp 70 is inserted over a ball joint 210placed on the lower frame 180 of the intermediate support frame 60 andfinally the support frame is closed adding the upper frame 170 that isassembled by means of its lateral flanges.
 9. A method of bladetransportation according to claim 6, characterized in that when the railcar 250 that transports a blade 10 and the adjacent rail car 251 thattransports another blade 11 become unaligned due to taking a curve 330,the root support frame 50 of the first blade 10 turns, the intermediatesupport frame 60 slides on its plate 320 and turns on the actuator stand290 while the blade point 40 moves outside the width of the adjacentrail car 251 without colliding with the point of the adjacent blade 11.